New UNBA Committee discusses assistance to military personnel and victims

The Committee on the protection of victims of armed aggression against Ukraine, compensation mechanisms and European integration legal support for recovery established under the UNBA, held its first constituent meeting.

The meeting was attended by chairman Andriy Yermak, deputy chairman Zhanna Hrusko and Committee members.

During the meeting, the main areas of activity of the new body were discussed. These included legal assistance to military personnel and their families, protection of the rights of other persons affected by the war, development of compensation mechanisms, and participation of advocacy in the formation of legislative decisions for the war and post-war period.

The participants emphasized that the need to create such a Committee is dictated by practice: people affected by the war often need not just advice, but understandable, accessible, and systematic legal assistance. This is especially true for military personnel, who during their service are not always able to independently resolve legal issues related to both their service and social guarantees for themselves and their families.

They also pointed out that the Committee's activities won't be limited to issues affecting active military personnel. It'll also focus on veterans, families of those killed in action, prisoners of war, missing persons, civilians who've lost property or businesses, as well as kids and other groups who've been hurt by the armed aggression.

Among the problems requiring a systematic response, participants cited different interpretations of military law, difficulties in protecting the rights of military personnel, issues of payments, documentation, treatment, discharge from service, as well as the recording of war crimes and the determination of the legal status of certain categories of victims.

Compensation mechanisms were a separate topic of discussion. It was noted that even with court decisions on compensation for damages, the actual mechanisms for compensation remain unclear. The issue of finding practical solutions to protect the rights of victims at both the national and international levels was also raised.

Following the meeting, it was agreed to continue preparing organizational documents and the Committee's work program. In the future, it should work not only in Kyiv but also in the regions, focusing on the real needs of people affected by the war.